The Real Military Tech Behind Edge of Tomorrow's Guns and Gadgets

The new Tom Cruise movie, a gritty piece of sci-fi that's set on a repeat loop a la Groundhog Day, opens today. Many of the weapons and vehicles are based on real concepts from the U.S. military. Popular Mechanics checked in with Daniel Kramer, the effects supervisor, to get all of the details.

Colt M4A1

Colt M4A1

The Military Police in the movie use a standard-issue Colt M4A1 that fires in both a semi-automatic and three-round burst mode. Let’s face it: This is a nod to video game shooters like Call of Duty that rely on this weapon so extensively. But it’s also a smart choice: the gun audio and flares look realistic because they are based on the real weapon.

Exo-Suit

Exo-Suit

Edge of Tomorrow is based on a graphic novel from 2004 called All You Need Is Kill. In the novel, soldiers wear a “Jacket” exoskeleton outfitted with a rifle, a rocket launcher, and a melee weapon. In the real US military, the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) uses a similar design that can augment a soldier's strength on the battlefield. The TALOS is not just a sci-fi dream—according to some reports, the first prototype could debut this month.